This blog is all about Flags of the World in general, with emphasis on Indian Flags in particular and its History from ancient to date, flags in news, etiquette, etc.
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Friday, July 16, 2010

National Flag - Etiquette and Protocols; Wrong depictions of Indian Tricolour

FLAG ETIQUETTE AND PROTOCOLS

One way of showing respect to a ‘National Flag’ is to reproduce the flag correctly.
Embarrassing incidents may occur, if obsolete or wrongly depicted flags are displayed.

At least three flags Tanzania, Mexico and India have been shown 'wrong-way up' in this Greek Stamp issued in 1989. Correct illustrations can be seen in the stamps issued by the respective countries.( The top right Indian flag stamp has the constant printing error "Tear drop blot" just above 7 of the date 1947).

It is important that the flag is the “right way up”, there is no greater insult flying a National flag “up-side down”, as well as, being a mark of ignorance.

Recently on June 26, 2010 at Islamabad, a diplomatic faux paus by Pakistani hosts resulted in the Indian national flag displayed upside down caused a flutter during Indian home minister P. Chidambaram's meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik.

(Source; Wikipedia)

In 2005, Pakistan's former President Pervez Musharraf, while visiting India had Indian flag upside down flag displayed on his airplane.

At home, Indian bureaucrats and politicians also proved many a times that they are also no better wiser.

“Flag Code of India-2002” promulgated by the Ministry of Home Affairs stipulates “Dos and Don’ts”
for the display / hoisting / uses of National Flag of India.

The Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act- 1950 and the Prevention of Insults to National Honours Act-1971
prescribe the penalties for violation of the acts.

Wrong depictions of Asoka Chakra
“12 spokes” in place of stipulated “24 spokes” of the Asoka Chakra.

SPECIFICATION FOR THE NATIONAL FLAG OF INDIA (COTTON KHADI ) IS : 1 - 1968. (second revision) published on 17 August 1968, prescribes the design,
constructional details and other particulars of the National flag of India.
The colours of the flag, that is, India Saffron (Kesari), India Green and Navy Blue, shall correspond to the colours in the sealed standard flag held in the custody of the Chief Inspector, Chief Inspectorate of Textiles & Clothing, Kanpur. Spectrophotometric values of the colours in the flag presented to the Constituent Assembly
on 22 July 1947 were measured by the then Technical Development Establishment Laboratory (Stores), Kanpur.

Readers may recall (vide; http://flagstamps.blogspot.com/2010/06/flag-day-flags-on-stamps-facts-file.html ) that even an inconspicuous'error' that had cropped-up in the design of Union Jack on a Jamaican stamp was corrected by the concerned authority immediately the error was noticed.

Until very recent past, it was generally believed that the US "Bunker Hill" flag had "Blue field" but now evidence reveals that the Flag had "Red field".

I want to draw an accurate Ashoka Chakra and came across your site.You have an image showing some specifications of the Chakra. I was wondering if you have the full specifications. What do J, K and L refer to?And is this drawing official?You image is listed as: scan0034.jpgRegardsMichaelfunderbird@yahoo.com

I want to draw an accurate Ashoka Chakra and came across your site.You have an image showing some specifications of the Chakra. I was wondering if you have the full specifications. What do J, K and L refer to?And is this drawing official?You image is listed as: scan0034.jpgRegardsMichael Wantfunderbird@yahoo.com

About Me

Sekhar Chakrabarti - Vexillologist, author and a passionate collector of flag stamps and flag artifacts.
His name found a place in the "Limca Book of Records" for his collections of most stamps featuring the Indian National flag.
Curated International exhibitions commemorating 125th Birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore in Kolkata and Cairo (Egypt) organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Govt of India in 2011.
Had served as a jury member at several philatelic exhibitions organized by India Post and other philatelic organizations.
Curated a solo exhibition on “Indian National Flag” show casing myriad flag artifacts for the first time in India under the auspices of ICCR, Govt of India in 2014.
First Indian delegate to present original research based papers on aspects of the Indian Flag at the 25th International Congress of Vexillology (ICV25) at Rotterdam, the Netherlands in 2013, ICV26 Sydney Flag Congress, Australia in 2015 and at ICV27 in London Flag Congress in August 2017.
He lives in Kolkata, India.
Email ID: sekhar.chakrabarti@gmail.com